Mar. 3, 1915: Congress approves the Seamen’s Act, providing the merchant marine with rights similar to those gained by factory workers. Action on the law was prompted by the sinking of the Titanic three years earlier. Among other gains: working hours were limited to 56 per week; guaranteed minimum standards of cleanliness and safety were put in place.

Dec. 10, 2012 | Let's say you an your brother are a pair of billionaires who reap your profits from the poisoning of the earth and whose daddy co-founded the John Birch Society – and you poured millions into the 2012 election, only to see your candidates felled by a party elf by a black guy who's big on green energy, and who bailed out the U.S. auto industry in a way that voters like…So whattaya gonna do? Why, find a way to crush those pesky labor unions in a place that will hurt them badly. Say, the auto capital of the world…So in a lame-duck legislative session last week, the Republican majority rammed through a destructively anti-union bill that the governor has pledged to sign. Local analysts chalk it all up to payback by Michigan legislators for the unions' attempt to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution…Read more here. Related: How right to work got on the table, how the Koch brothers bought Michigan lawmakers, and the Michigan governor's betrayal of voters. Also, check out Michigan workers' new website at wearemich.org.